Local Offer

The Setting

Nature Trail Nursery is an inclusive, nursery school for children 0-4 and a maximum of 60 children aged under eight years may attend the facility at any one time.

Operates from four play rooms (0-1, 1-2, 2-3 and preschool) and associated facilities all on one level.

The nursery is open from Monday to Friday, from 7.30am until 6.30pm, for 51 weeks of the year.

The setting employs 15 members of staff who work with the children. They all hold National Vocational Qualifications at Level 2 and 3 in childcare. Two members of staff hold a level 5 qualification and one member of staff is a qualified teacher.

The setting offers a service to local families and children.

The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

A Key Person is allocated for each child with the aim of establishing close relationships with each child and their families.

We are proud of the positive and supportive relationships we have developed and work hard to include parents and carers in the education of their children.

We value the abilities and achievements of all our pupils, and are committed to providing for each child the best possible environment for learning.

The Nursery is working towards “Step into Quality” .

Accessibility and Inclusion

The nursery operates from one floor, there are steps to the front of nursery but there is an accessibility plan in place and where feasible reasonable adjustments would be made.

There are accessible parking spaces available for staff and disabled persons.

Disabled toilets are available for wheelchair users should the need arise.

Information is available on the nursery website and a community noticeboard in addition to regular newsletters.

The Nursery has all required policies and guidance in place. Paper copies of the policies are available in nursery.

We aim to ensure that all communications in written format are clear and concise and will inform parents and carers verbally where appropriate. For parents whose first language is not English the school will seek to use pictures and/or a website to translate messages.

Furniture is modern and of a suitable height appropriate to the age group of children attending nursery.

When necessary the Nursery uses visual timetables using photographs, pictures and symbols as a means of communication.

We have experience of children with English as a second language and we ensure that they can access information through the use of symbols, pictures and sometimes websites for translations.

Changing beds, potties and low level toilets are available.

The nursery welcomes parents to come and discuss their child’s needs.

Identification and Early Intervention

The nursery ethos is to work in partnership with parents. If a parent is worried about their child they should talk to the child’s key worker who will then liaise with Special Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) if appropriate.

All children’s progress is carefully monitored through observation. Summative assessments are undertaken each term. Parents are invited into nursery to discuss their child’s progress and attainment. Children often show different skills and behaviours in different settings. Summative assessment judgement is entered onto a tracking programme and is observed against typical age phase development. Parents are able to see in which areas their child is making most progress and reaching a stage typical for their age. The manager scrutinises each child’s progress. If a child appears not to be making good progress this is discussed with the key person and the parents.

Where a child’s progress is poor, intervention strategies are put into place and written up in an Individual Education Plan. This is agreed with parents. This is monitored and reviewed approximately every six weeks. Where progress continues to be limited a referral to appropriate professionals is made with parents’ permission. A CAF (Common Assessment Framework) from is also sometimes completed with parents and other relevant professionals. The CAF is designed to be used when: a practitioner is worried about how well a child or young person is progressing (e.g. concerns about their health, development, welfare, behaviour, progress in learning or any other aspect of their wellbeing)a child or young person, or their parent/carer, raises a concern with a practitioner a child’s or young person’s needs are unclear, or broader than the practitioner’s service can address. The process is entirely voluntary.

The nursery works with other professionals such as educational psychologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, health visitors, speech and language specialists. Often, a programme of work will be directed by a specialising professional and carried out by nursery staff.

Additional support and intervention work will be recorded in an Individual Education Plan agreed with parents. The nursery aims to promote inclusive practice and where ever possible children’s needs will be met in the mainstream provision. Withdrawal takes place only where necessary. The nursery supports children by adjusting it’s staffing ratios where possible. All staff in a classroom will work with a child who has SEN in order to avoid dependency. The child’s key worker will feed back to parents each day and inform other staff of any messages or information received from parents.

Teaching and Learning – practitioners and practice

The nursery works to the Early Years Framework’s Development Matters.

Children are assessed against the Characteristics of Effective Learning and the development goals appropriate for their age. The development goals are made up of 3 Prime Areas and 4 Specific Areas of learning. All areas are important and inter-connected and centre around the individual needs of each Unique Child.

Assessments are made in partnership with parents on entry to nursery and during each term by the key worker. Summative assessments are used to identify individual learning plans each half term, building on the child’s strengths to promote areas where progress is less good.

Leaflets promoting groups or events for specific disabilities and additional needs are accessed from the local Children’s Centre and local authority. They are downloaded and provided for parents who have children with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities as appropriate or upon parent’s request.

The Children’s Centre outreach team offer support to parents when requested. This may be offered in the centre or in the child’s home. Outreach workers are skilled in listening to parents and helping parents to make informed choices. The outreach team are able to signpost or support families in accessing other services where required.

The nursery uses the listening to children’s voices approach to find out children’s views. An example of this approach is observing children engaged in role-play. Observations of children are also undertaken and judgements made about their levels of involvement in activities and their emotional well-being. Where levels are low, adjustments to the provision are considered.

Any questions regarding Special Educational Needs please contact a member of the SENCO on 01254 830788 or at naturetrailnurseryltd@gmail.com